Main menu

You are here

$7.1M in projects get green light in GH

The quest to improve the City of Grand Haven’s public utilities just got a huge financial boost.

Alex Doty

Grand Haven

Nov 6, 2013

Voters approved a $7.1 million public utility bond by a vote of 986 to 491 on Tuesday night.

The wide margin of victory thrilled Mayor Geri McCaleb.

“I thought it’d be close, but this is very impressive and very encouraging,” she said.

The proposal asked voters to allow the city to borrow $7.1 million for up to 20 years to rebuild the city’s aging public utilities. For a taxpayer with a home valued at $100,000, the additional cost will be $50 per year.

“We asked the question and we got the answer, and now it’s up to staff to find ways to stretch that bond as far as it can go,” City Manager Pat McGinnis said. ”We’re starting out with a goal of $11 million worth of projects and it’ll be a bond of just over $7 million.”

McGinnis said they’d look at going to the bond market at the best possible time to get the most advantageous rate. They’ll also start project planning immediately.

The city has a five-year list of projects to tackle. Construction would begin in 2015.

“Now that we have the confidence of our voters, we’ll see how much of our state tax dollars and our federal tax dollars we can get back here to Grand Haven to supplement that bond,” McGinnis said.

Planned projects range from new street surfaces, sewer repairs, and full reconstruction projects with all-new road, sewer and water lines.

To read more of this story, see today’s print or e-edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.

Their is no doubt that the city of GH is in need of some money for infrastructure, but I'm hoping their is not a need for us tax payers to watch what bills are get paid by which budget line item. Its like most governmental units they don't use the tax money for what it's intended for.